Crisis declared in southern First Nations

Andréa Ledding | March 15, 2016

FSIN Vice Chief Kimberly Jonathan and FSIN Senator Ted Quewezance address the media about the state of crisis on the Keeseekoose, Cote, and Key First Nations.

The Saulteaux Pelly Agency Chiefs Health
Alliance of Keeseekoose, Cote, and Key First Nation declared their communities
in a major state of crisis March 14th, 2016 at a Federation of Saskatchewan
Indian Nations (FSIN) press conference. Located a few miles north of Kamsack,
the three First Nations have been plagued by hundreds of deaths they attribute
to addictions, violence, and health problems, and note they are not alone. FSIN
Senator Ted Quewezance has attended more than 400 funerals in the past year.

“The health system is not only failing our
people, it’s killing our people,” said Quewezance. “Right now there is a
provincial election on, and not a word about First Nations...during provincial
elections everyone is knocking on our door for support, but when there’s not an
election we’re a federal responsibility.

“Imagine going to a funeral every week,
let alone three or four a week. There were four deaths in one day.”

These four deaths took place February 27th, 2016 on Cote First Nation.

“It’s happening in 74 communities in
Saskatchewan and 600 other communities across Canada,” noted Quewezance of the
widespread disparity in health and wellness for First Nations, criticizing both
the federal and provincial governments who play jurisdictional football with
the issue and send poorly conceived band-aid solutions in the form of
literature and education, rather than providing equitable primary care.
“National harm reductions don’t help; pamphlets don’t heal our people.”

“We are in a crisis; we need help and we
need it now,” said Cote First Nation Chief Norman Whitehawk. “Our communities
are in a constant state of grieving.”

“We need adequate resources to help our
families deal with the emotional toll this crisis is having on them,” added
Keesekoose Chief Lyndon Musqua.

Quewezance notes that many of the deaths
and addictions issues in the Saulteaux Pelly Agency area are attributed to the
faulty methadone program at work, being dispensed by the two Kamsack pharmacies
and the doctor at Kamsack, all three of whom they have asked to be reviewed. In
a Health Canada Report written by Dr. John Elias, a Health Canada consultant,
he reports that many of the addictions problems escalated with the
establishment of the methadone clinic.

“The Federal and Provincial Government
have become the pushers of drugs as they fund narcotics and opioids under the
government drug plans,” said Quewezance. “They track prescription drug use and
abuse but do nothing to stop the problem.”

The issue boils down to basic healthcare
inequity: despite MediCare being established for mainstream Canadians from the
Treaty Six wording “a medicine chest for times of sickness” this promise
remains unfulfilled to the First Nations it was promised, while being made
accessible for all other Canadians. Vice-Chief Kimberley Jonathan emphasized at
the press conference that systemic barriers are in place: medical
transportation and access to basic medical needs and mental health services
remain huge issues for many of the remote and northern communities, as
evidenced by the tragedy at La Loche.

“You can talk about the crisis, you can
talk about state of emergencies across the country, but if you haven’t got a
solution, it isn’t going to happen,” noted Quewezance, requesting that the
governments sit down at the table until a solution is reached whereby Health
Canada and the Province are taking responsibility for providing essential
primary care services on-reserve that will have a positive effect on health
outcomes. “There’s no reason we shouldn’t have doctors on every First Nation,
we have the health centres.”

“It’s systemic racism — people are
literally dying,” noted Jonathan. “These are human beings and ought to be
respected and given the positive support other people enjoy.

“The ultimate goal is capacity building to
be able to provide the capacity, the resources, the support, in communities and
cities. The responsibility doesn’t just lie with the chiefs, with the council,
with the community members, the responsibility lies with all of us to be treated
equally.”

SUMA, SARM, the cities, and the medical
industry all need to step up and be voices for those who are dying needlessly
in this state of crisis.

“The greatest priority ought to be those
who are vulnerable,” noted Jonathan.

Quewezance gave an overview of the past 27
months of negotiations, including two health nurses, only one of whom has now
been hired, and a treatment facility which Health Canada agreed to fund 1.1
million but the provincial government backed away from a $350 000 commitment.

“There’s racism, there’s bias, and a lack
of understanding of First Nations people within our health regions,” noted
Quewezance. “They receive over two and a half million dollars to look after
health care in our region.”

Quewezance lost his son in November, after
visiting four different hospitals, one in Kamsack, one in Yorkton, and two in
Saskatoon. He was diagnosed with swelling of the brain in Yorkton but treated
for liver issues until he died of meningitis in Saskatoon.

There is an awareness in the medical
system that further engagement and support needs to be undertaken for First
Nations health issues. This summer the Canadian Medical Association Conference
is taking one day of their conference to focus solely on First Nations.

“It’s time for equality,” said Quewezance.
“We want the attention of the federal government, the provincial government,
and the health care system. We meet with them regularly but solutions cost
money.”

They have written a letter to the Prime
Minister and the Minister of Health asking for equal care, equal quality, and
equal health-outcomes comparable to mainstream Canadian healthcare in a
measurable, timely, and reasonable way. This includes relationship-based
patient-centred care that is culturally safe; and meaningful participation by
First Nations in defining health care problems and implementing health care
solutions.